Process of treating wood.



JOHN WARREN ILLINGWORTH, OF DORSEY, MARYLAND.

-rnoonss or rnna'rme WOOD.

No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 26, 1912. Serial No. 679,839.

Patented May '7, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WARREN ILLING- WORTH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Dorsey, in the county of Howard and State of Maryland, have invented -certa1n new and useful Improvements in Processes of Treating Wood, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the treatment of wood for the purpose of preserving same and rendering it more elastic and, strong.

The object of my invention is to provide a process for treating wood, and particularly green wood of low commercial value, such as scrub pine or spruce, so as to convert it into a high grade elastic resilient wood having a fine white or light color and capable of receiving a high polish.

A further object of my invention is to prevent the wood from decaying and also to protect it against the attacks of insects.

In carrying out my process, I first saw the tree trunk into logs, then soak in water of ordinary temperature until almost waterlogged and until exudation of gum appears on its surface to cause the water to dissolve the Water soluble gums and acids contained in the wood, then dry for about ten days, in a shady or dark place, to prevent the sun from striking it; then saw the log into planks about four inches in thickness is about right, then soak in a saturated solution of lime water for about ten days; then draw this water off and place the planks in rowsand slightly. separated-from each other and cover them with unslaked lime to'absorb the remaining moisture and-cause the planks to be heated and dried by the lime and to absorb and hold in its fibers a considerable quantity of lime which acts to preserve the wood and render it resilient and hard and also bleaches it to a fine light color, thereby increasing its commercial value.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that I may cut theplanks thinner or thicker than four incheswithout changing the process providing the wood is treated the .ard and State of Maryland, this 23rd day of February AD. 1912.

proper time to accomplish the proper soaking and drying process, the time de ending on the thickness of the wood, the 'nd-of wood treated, and the condition "of the weather, as will be readily understood. It

will also be understood that I may take any wood that has previously-been sawed-into boards or planks and soak them in lime water as above set forth, then draw off said water and surround them with unslaked lime to heatand dry the board, and thus provide an improved article suit-able for many uses for which the wood not thus treated is undesirable.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new 1. The process of treating wood consisting in soaking it in water at ordinary temperature, then drying same, then sawing into planks, then soaking it in a saturated solution of lime water, then removing from said Water and covering same with dry unslaked lime.

2. The process of treating wood consisting in soaking it in water of ordinary temperature, then drying the wood without exposing same to the sun light, then soaking it in lime water, then removing it, from the water and covering it with dry unslaked lime to absorb the water contained in the wood.

3. The process oftreatin wood consisting in first cutting same 1nto.logs, then soaking in water at ordinary temperature untilalmost water-logged and exudation of gum appears on its surface to cause the. water to dissolve the water soluble gums and acids contained in the wood, then drying for about ten days in a shady or dark place to prevent the suns rays from afi'ecting the wood, then sawing into planks about four inches-thick, then soaking in a saturated solution of lime water for about ten days, then drawing oif the water-and placing the planks in rows with their edges turned upward and separated from each other, and then covering the wood with dry unslaked limeto absorb the remaining moisture and cause the planks to be heated and dried quickly to absorb and hold in its fibers a quantit of lime to preserve the wood to render 1t hard and resilient and to 1 JOHN WARREN ILLINGWORTH.

Witnesses:

BERTHA L. HALL,

T. F. ILLINGWORTH. 

